Artificial limb



Jan. 15, 1946.

Filed May 25, 1944 L. G. CARON ARTIFICIAL LIMB :75: f: 40 gvwwwtom ff: Lat/A9 6. Orion,

Patented Jan. 15, 1946 U NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,393,142 Anrmcmmun Louis G. Caron, Washington, D. 0.

Application M'ay 25, 1944,.S'erial No. 37,23-8

4 Claims.

llhisinvention relates to an improvement in artificial limbs of the character constructed of thigh. and lower leg members. articulated together. This application :is' filed as. a division: .of my priorrapplication forxArtificial limbs, filed. March 15, l943,-Serial No. 479,257.

vThe .thigh and lower leg. members are :usually pivoted togetherfor relative swinging movement. The pivot is usually connected. with zashoulder strap or waist-band strap, but the manner :in which this has been constructed heretofore has caused zgreat wear onthe :knee :bolt.

Oneobject of this invention is to improve the construction of the. pivotal connection. ibetween the thigh andlowerlegmemhers; This is accomplished preferably by distributing :the wear uniformly around the knee bolt, through a clamped connection between the bolt and-its sleeve, that may be adjusted :as :required.

A further object of the invention is to. improve the manner of operation of the knee joint. and to control the. operation thereof, particularly as to the lock of'xthe thigh :andlower leg members in straight-line'positions.

A control is-provided..forthe knee actiionwhich. will allow relative swinging;movement between: the thigh and the lower leg sections. to-check. the relative swinging movement therebetween. as well as to control this movement, tending to stop the swinging movement of the lower leg section when in straight-line position relative to the thigh section and holding said part in this position until released by the user. For this purpose, the check lever is provided with a catch which engages automatically a part of the lower leg member when the latter is in the straightline position, and which catch may be released when desired. The construction of the catch is such that it is substantially noiseless so as to be unobjectionable in use.

I have illustrated these features of the invention in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged vertical section through the knee joint connecting the thigh and lower leg members, parts being in elevation;

Fig.2 is a detailed cross section therethrough on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailed cross section partly in elevation, through the knee bolt showing the knee tightener applied thereto; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section thereof, substantially at right angles to Fig. 3.

The invention is adapted to be applied to thigh character which are :pivotally connected together by means of a kneeaction. These members are usually shaped to correspond substantially with the portions of a natural limb. While they may be 'constructed in any suitable manner or of any d'esigedxmaterial, I have set forth in my prior application. for Artificial limbsiiled March '15, l943T, .Serial No- 479,257, one manner of con-- structing these-members, which may be :followed, if desired, according 1130 this invention.

'The th-iglr member is designated generally by the numeral :11, and the lowerleg member, by the numeral 13. "The lower legxmember is finisheclv :withrears designated generally at 2| which are connected together'by a knee bolt 22 extending through a sleeve 23. The sleeve 23-is fixed at opposite ends to the thigh member H while the bolt :isciztixed toithe ears 2| of the lowerleg member :l8-. :Therelative swinging motions .ofthese: partscauses: turning movement between the bolt :22and theysl'eeve .23, which :are relatively loose. I

Provision is made for equalizing the wear on the bolt.-,-22.as a-result of "this turning movement instead oi. limiting the: wear solely to the top of the: bolt as? has often: resulted heretofore. For this purpose, a portion of the sleeve 23 is cut away at .24 and a segment .25' is applied thereto inmosition to beardirectly against the periphery of the bolt 22. A strap 26 extends about the sleeve 23 and has its opposite end portions drawn together by a screw 21, thereby forming a clamp for pressing the segment 25 adjustably against the bolt 22.

In this way, the bolt and sleeve may be clamped in tight frictional relation'to prevent looseness therebetween. This has the effect of distributing the wear uniformly around the bolt 22, instead of confining it entirely to the upper surface thereof as heretofore. The upper end of the clamp 26 may be provided with a roller 28 under which a strap 29 extends, said strap passing upward therefrom to the usual waist band or suspenders.

It will be evident that the one knee-control strap 29, is connected also with the knee-joint tightener and thereby insures the maintenance of proper knee action.

At the back, the thigh member is cut-away or recessed at 3| opposite the knee bolt 23, and a pin 32 is fixed in this recessed portion of the thigh member. A check lever 33 has a slotted end portion 34 fitting loosely about the pin 32, and extending downwardly therefrom in the lower leg member I 8. The lower end of the check lever 33 is and lower leg members of the usual or desired connected by the usual flexible band 35 with the lower leg member, and serves to check the forward swinging movement of the lower leg member relative .to the thigh member ll. A rubber bumper 3Bis fixed in the thigh member I! in position to be engaged by the forward face of the check lever 33 when the parts are in straight-line position. a

I have provided a catch for holding the parts in this relation until desired to be released. This catch is designated generally at 3 8 and is shown as formed of U-shape in cross section embracing opposite sides of the check lever 33, being pivoted thereto at 39. The lower edge of the catch 38 is adapted to overlie a shouldered upper edge 40 at the back of the lower leg member 18, when Fig. 1.

The catch 38 is normally held in this position by a coiled spring 41 (Fig. 2) housed within a recess 42 in the check lever 33,] and said spring 4| is sleeved over a guide pin 43, having a head 44; The head 44 will project, through an orifice 45in the'forward face of the lever 33 and apply tension to the coiled spring 4| to restore the catch 38 to its latching position.. The spring 4| should have just enough tensibn to push the catch 38 to: its latching position so that it will latch the parts in' their straight-line relation without snap or noise that would be objectionable.

The catch 38 is shownas provided with a strap 46 which extends to the usual suspenders or waist band for release of the catch, when it is desired .to swing the limb members;

This construction provides for proper control of 'the knee action which will be effect in operation.

'I'claim: j

. 1.1In an artificial limb, the combination of thigh and lower leg members 'pivotally connected together for swinging movement to straightline relation, a check lever pivoted to the thigh member and extending into the leg member, a catch pivotedto said check lever in position to engage the leg member to hold" the same in extended relation, a flexible device extending upwardly beside at least a portion of the thigh member lengthwise thereof from ,the catch and operatively connected with said catch for releasing said catch, and resilient means acting on said 15 the catch is in its locking position, as shown in r catch tending to move the same to latching relation.

2. In an artificial limb, the combination of thigh and shin members pivotally connected together for relative swinging movement, said shin member having a shoulder at the upper edge thereof, latching means pivotally mounted on the thigh member in position to engage said shoulder and hold the members in straight-line relatiomyielding means acting on said latching means tending to move the "same to latching position with the shoulder, and a flexible strap connected with the latching means and extending upwardly therefrom beside the thigh memher for swinging said latching means away from latching relation with the shoulder to permit relative movement of the members.

3. In an artificial limb, the combination of thigh and lower leg members, a knee joint connecting said members together and including afsleeve and a bolt telescoped with each other and respectively connected with the respective members, a clamping segment in a side of the sleeve and bearing against the bolt, and a clamp embracing the sleeve andsegment and with opposite sides extending toitheopposite side of the sleeve from the segment, and means for adjustably connecting said opposite sides of the clamp together for adjusting the segment relative to the sleeve and bolt.'.

4: In an artificiallimb', the combination of thigh and shin members pivotally connected to gether for swinging movement, means forming a shoulder on the shin member, a lever pivoted to the thigh-member and extending into the shin member adjacent the shoulder, a catch substan-' tially U-shaped in cross-section with lateral sides embracing the lever and extending upwardly along theil'ever on the edgeportion thereof facing the shoulder, means pivotally mounting the catch on the lever for engagement of the lower edge portion thereof wi'th theshoulder, resilient means confined between the closed side of-the catch and the lever normally tendlng to press the catch into engaging position with'jthe shoulder, and an actuating strap connected with the catch and extending upwardly besidethe thigh member or releasing the 'catchi'from the shoulder,

, J pours emon.

Patent No.. 2,595,112.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

January 15, 191%. LOUIS'G. QARON.

It is hereby. certified that error appears in the above numbered potent requiring correction-,.as follows In the heading to the printed'specification, line 14, strike out the word "Application" and insert instead M --Original application Mare 15 511914 5, Serial No. 4-79257. glided 3nd this application--; in the he line 5," for "May 25, 19bi read --Maroh 15, 191 tters Patentshould be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the cord I of the ease in the Patent Office.-

Signed and sealed this 9th day of April, A. D. 19%.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) First-Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

